Abandonment of Nursing Home Residents
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the number of nursing home residents abandoned by next-of-kin or unable to pay bills between 2011 and 2016, as well as the procedures and assistance available to operators. Minister of State for Health Dr Lam Pin Min stated that abandonment figures are not specifically tracked, but operators follow procedures such as calls and home visits to re-establish family contact. He highlighted that the Government offers means-tested subsidies of up to 75% and financial assistance through MediFund, while voluntary welfare organisations may also utilize charitable donations for resident support. Minister of State for Health Dr Lam Pin Min also noted that nursing homes can assist eligible residents in seeking legal recourse under the Maintenance of Parents Act. He emphasized that while financial schemes ensure residents are not evicted due to an inability to pay, the Government cannot mandate filial piety or replace the warmth of a family.
Transcript
1 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health (a) for each year from 2011 till 2016, how many residents in nursing homes were abandoned by their next-of-kin and how many were unable to pay their bills; (b) what is the typical procedure that nursing home operators follow in such cases; and (c) how are the operators of nursing homes assisted by the Government in dealing with the cases.
The Minister of State for Health (Dr Lam Pin Min) (for the Minister for Health): Mdm Speaker, we do not specifically track the number of nursing home residents who are abandoned by their families. When families fail to visit, nursing home staff will try to re-establish contact. They may try to contact family members or visit them at their last known addresses to encourage them to visit their loved ones.
The Government provides means-tested subsidies of up to 75% of nursing home costs. Residents who require additional assistance can tap on financial assistance schemes, such as MediFund. Many nursing homes are also run by voluntary welfare organisations and may tap on charitable donations to provide further financial support to their residents. Nursing homes can also provide assistance to eligible residents to seek legal recourse under the Maintenance of Parents Act if they wish to do so.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Leon Perera.
Mr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): I thank the Minister of State for his answer. I just have a few supplementary questions. Have there been any cases that the Ministry is aware of where because of the inability to pay, the resident of the nursing home could not continue to reside in the nursing home? Second, is there a procedure for what nursing homes should do in case they decide that the bill is not being paid and they cannot afford to keep the resident there?
Dr Lam Pin Min: I would like to thank Mr Leon Perera for the supplementary questions. Like I have mentioned, nursing homes do have certain procedures to try to establish contact with the family members of the residents. Different nursing homes have different procedures but, fundamentally, they are quite similar. They will make phone calls, they will try to email them, they can send letters, and some will also attempt to visit their homes at the last known address.
With regard to residents who are unable to pay for the nursing home cost, the Government does provide financial assistance for those who are eligible under the means testing regime. For those who cannot pay the remaining portions of their bills, they can also tap on MediFund as well.
I would like to reiterate to all Members of the House that every single case of abandonment is sad and heart-wrenching. The Government cannot mandate filial piety but will definitely step in to help whenever possible. While the Government can provide financial support through the various assistance schemes that I have mentioned just now, we cannot play surrogacy to the love and warmth of the family.